Providing communication between wellbores through directional hydraulic fracturing

Abstract

Collection of hydrocarbons in a collection region that is non-contiguous to a production well is described. A path between the production well and a collection well is determined, which is not necessarily the shortest distance path. A fluid communication channel is then provided within a geological formation between the production well and collection well, along the determined path. Fluid communication is provided between the production well and the collection well without intersecting the collection well with the production well, and without otherwise drilling a hole to connect the production well and collection well.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A method for drilling a subsurface well system, the method comprising:
 drilling a production well extending from the earth's surface; 
 drilling a collection well to collect hydrocarbons from a collection region, wherein the collection region is non-contiguous to the production well and wherein the collection well does not physically intersect the production well; 
 determining a path along a geological formation between the production well and the collection well based on a measured property of the geological formation associated with a fracture in the geological formation, wherein the path is predicted to fracture; and 
 performing a perforation of the geological formation between the production well and the collection well along the path that is predicted to fracture, the perforation providing a fluid communication channel along the path for fluid communication between the production well and the collection well. 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 determining the path based on the measured property of the geological formation comprises measurements of formation stresses. 
 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 1 , wherein determining the path includes determining, based on the measured property, a total organic content of the geological formation between the production well and the collection well that is predicted to fracture. 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the path is determined based on a physical position of the production well relative to the collection well. 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 1 , wherein providing the fluid communication channel includes generating a fracture between the production well and the collection well. 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 5 , further comprising:
 monitoring a well property at one of the production well and the collection well to determine whether fluid communication exists between the production well and the collection well. 
 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 6 , further comprising:
 determining a point at which the fracturing is to be terminated based on the monitoring. 
 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 1 , wherein providing the fluid communication channel includes perforating the geological formation at a one or more points within the geological formation. 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 8 , further comprising:
 generating a fracture along a preferential direction based on the measured property to create the fluid communication channel, wherein the preferential direction is further indicated upon performing the perforation. 
 
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 9 , wherein the perforating includes adjusting a spread of perforations by aligning perforation guns in a pattern distribution over a circumference of the production well. 
     
     
       11. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the path is not a shortest distance path between the production well and the collection well. 
     
     
       12. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the collection well is drilled such that the collection well is communicatively isolated from the production well. 
     
     
       13. A system, comprising:
 at least one measurement device to measure at least one property as a measured property associated with a fracture in a geological formation between a production well and a collection well, wherein the collection well extends within a collection region and is non-contiguous to and does not physically intersect the production well; 
 a processing unit to determine a path along the geological formation between the production well and the collection well based on the measured property, wherein the path is predicted to fracture; and 
 a fracturing device coupled to the processing unit to provide a fluid communication channel within the geological formation, along the path that is predicted to fracture based on the measured property to provide for fluid communication between the production well and the collection well. 
 
     
     
       14. The system of  claim 13 , wherein the at least one measurement device includes a device for measuring a spatial relationship between the production well and the collection well. 
     
     
       15. The system of  claim 13 , wherein the fracturing device includes a fracturing fluid injection valve. 
     
     
       16. The system of  claim 15 , wherein the fracturing fluid injection valve is coupled to a choke to adjust pressure and flow rate of a fracturing fluid. 
     
     
       17. The system of  claim 13 , wherein the fracturing device includes a perforation gun. 
     
     
       18. The system of  claim 13 , further comprising:
 a downhole logging tool attached to the at least one measurement device. 
 
     
     
       19. The system of  claim 13 , further including at least one sensor to monitor a well property at the collection well to determine whether fluid communication exists between the production well and the collection well, and wherein the processing unit is to determine a point at which the fracturing is to be terminated based on the well property. 
     
     
       20. The system of  claim 13 , further comprising:
 memory to store azimuthal formation evaluation logs, for access by the processing unit to determine the path in the geological formation between the production well and the collection well.